History of Official Neglect Feeds Bronx Interest in Bernie
For many of the Bronx residents who lined up outside St. Mary's Park to hear Sen. Bernie Sanders speak, Thursday was the first time in decades that the South Bronx community was considered an important factor in presidential politics.
The line that stretched from the park and wrapped around over three blocks, included Sanders supporters from New Jersey and even California. But many of the 15,000 or so who attended the rally were Bronx residents who, interviews indicated, were hopeful that the event held in their own backyards could translate into change for their community.
One of the thousands of rally-goers was South Bronx native Shavonne Bell, 26,who said "I feel like Bernie sees people who need a voice and who need people to fight for them. There's a reason he did not hold the rally down at Wall Street because those are not the people who need him."
Sanders, who was received by a wave of cheers and applause, appealed to the working-class of the Bronx by beginning his rally with an anecdote of his childhood. "We lived in a three-and-a-half-room, rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn so I learned a little bit about what it means to grow up with a family that has no money," he said, describing a part of his childhood that matches the reality many Bronx residents face today.
More at:
http://citylimits.org/2016/04/01/history-of-official-neglect-feeds-bronx-interest-in-bernie/